title: Region-specific targets of p42/p44MAPK signaling in rat brain.
abstract: In vitro studies indicate that p42/p44MAPK phosphorylate both nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. However, the functional targets of p42/p44MAPK activation in vivo remain unclear. To address this question, we localized activated p42/p44MAPK in hippocampus and cortex and determined their signaling effects after electroconvulsive shock treatment (ECT) in rats. Phosphorylated p42/p44MAPK content increased in the cytoplasm of hippocampal neurons in response to ECT. Consistent with this cytoplasmic localization, inhibition of ECT-induced p42/p44MAPK activation by the extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase inhibitor PD098059 blocked phosphorylation of the cytoplasmic protein microtubule-associated protein 2c (MAP2c), but failed to inhibit the induction of the nuclear protein c-Fos in response to ECT. In contrast to hippocampal neurons, cortical neurons exhibited an increase in amount of phosphorylated p42/p44MAPK in both the nucleus and cytoplasm after ECT. Accordingly, PD098059 blocked the induction of Fos-like immunoreactivity in the nuclei of cortical neurons as well as MAP2c phosphorylation in the cytoplasm. Our data indicate that both nuclear and cytoplasmic substrates can be activated by p42/p44MAPK in vivo. However, the functional targets of p42/p44MAPK signaling depend on the precise location of p42/p44MAPK within different subcellular compartments of brain regions. These results indicate unique functional pathways of p42/p44MAPK-mediated signal transduction within different brain regions in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Cephalon, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Engber
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Finn
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Koury
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dionne
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Walton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004597:Electroshock; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one